R2,P45: Adam Shaheen, TE - Ashland

[wab]

I didn't know who Nick Kawasaki was last year either.

[Boris13c]

My immediate reaction tweet:

I don't know anything about the tight end the Bears just drafted but he looks like a man among boys.

that is pretty much what the few highlights available show too ... looks like a college guy playing against a high school jayvee squad

hope all of that translates into solid NFL level production against equally big boys

on the plus side, at least Pace didn't trade up to get him

[Hiphopopotamos]

FWIW - Gil Brandt loved this kid. Gabriel tweeted something about Brandt going to the Ashland pro-day and leaving there saying Shaheen wouldn't make it out of the second round.

This is a 280 pound dude with quick feet and soft hands. He's Kyle Long at TE. I like it.

[ramentaschen]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

[Hiphopopotamos]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

It was reported that Shaheen was the Broncos pick if he had been there 6 picks later. So, no, he wouldn't have been available later.

[gocards63]

Bears fans...I'm an Ashland grad who follows the Eagles closely and has seen Shaheen play in person multiple times and watches every Ashland game on tv or online:

1. The video highlights are a good representation of how dominate Shaheen was over the past two years. Shaheen has surprisingly good footwork and quickness for someone his size. I actually think he has football speed, meaning I believe he plays faster than his 4.78 40 time. He likes to be physical as you could see in the highlights. He doesn't hesitate to initiate contact.

2. Shaheen has very good hands for a tight end. No question his basketball background is helpful. He does a nice job of catching the ball away from his body. He's excellent at going up for a ball at its highest point. If you have any question about his catching ability, see if you can find video of him running the drill at the combine where they continually throw balls from different directions while running in a straight line. No drops and he stays right on the yard line which is the way they are taught to run this drill.

3. Shaheen is strong! 24 reps at 225 pounds at the combine, tied for the most of any TE at the combine

4. He's a smart dude! 3.9 GPA as a finance major

5. Well liked by his teammates. Respected on campus as an every day type of guy. Not the type of guy who brings baggage with him.

Finally, I want Bears fans to realize while Ashland is Division 2 they are one of the better programs in the country, and play in the GLIAC which is considered one of the top conferences in Division 2. Ashland's Head Coach Lee Owens was an assistant at Ohio St. He's now coached multiple NFL players including Jamie Meder, who is a starting Defensive Lineman for the Browns. In the clip where Shaheen out runs severals DB's the opponent was Ferris State which has been a top 10 team in Division 2 the past few seasons.

The point I'm making is I'm not saying Shaheen played against anywhere close to D1 talent. But I want Bears fans to know at the D2 level he played for a team that won 18 games the past two seasons against upper level D2 competition. He needs work on his run blocking, but I have no doubt he has the physical and mental makeup to be an excellent tight end in the NFL. Congrats on a nice pick by Ryan Pace

Thanks man, nice information (ignore the snark above!).

I think BWM mentioned this above but is there any likelihood that his metrics could improve more than those from top programmes? I.e. that D2 programmes are even further from NFL ones so his strength etc. is more likely to be further from his peak?

I'll admit I'm not overly familiar with the metrics system mentioned in the article. I don't see how it applies as much to a player like Shaheen because he was playing against inferior competition. I follow D2 football closely and the better programs can turn out some good players. The best team in Ashland's conference over the years has been Grand Valley State. Go watch Matt Judon who was drafted by the Ravens last year. That dude is a stud and is the heir apparent to take over for Terrell Suggs. Ashland had two nose tackles start in the NFL over the past few years. Jeris Pendleton who was drafted by the Jags, and Jamie Meder who starts for the Browns. My point is there are players like Shaheen that for one reason or another weren't on a D1 schools radar but came into their own in college and are certainly capable of playing in the NFL. One of Shaheen's options was to transfer to a D1 school since he had already graduated and still had a year of eligibility. I'm sure a number of Power 5 conferences would have recruited him if that would have been the route he chose.

The only metrics I think the scouts can go off of on a guy like Shaheen is what he does at the combine. He lined up with what is one of the strongest TE classes in years, and the consensus was he was the 4th or 5th best TE. Turns out that's exactly where he fell with the number 4 TE going one pick before Shaheen. If I was a Bears fan I would be concerned with a pick like this if Shaheen didn't show he had upper body strength, but he did 27 reps at 225. They took 3 away from him for short arming the rep. 24 reps was tied for the top number for tight ends and was more reps than a number of OL did at the draft. His 3 cone drill time was good, showing he has good footwork. The combine performance was strong enough that 16 teams came to his pro day workout including 5 TE coaches.

When you see that kind of interest, Bears fans can't feel like Pace was in la la land taking Shaheen where he did. Multiple reputable NFL people talked up Shaheen and he was expected to go in the 2nd round. I think you guys have a unique player. Very few guys his size can move like Adam, and he has above average hands for his size. They work on his run blocking and you could have a solid TE that contributes for many years.

[Rusty Trombagent]

gocards i like you

[gocards63]

gocards i like you

Thank you Rusty. The Bears just picked up a lot of fans in northern Ohio that are sick of watching the freaking Browns stink it up!

[Adipost]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

It was reported that Shaheen was the Broncos pick if he had been there 6 picks later. So, no, he wouldn't have been available later.

I don't know if I buy that. Anyway, Denver drafted Jake Butt 100 picks later.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

[TheWorldBreaker]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

It was reported that Shaheen was the Broncos pick if he had been there 6 picks later. So, no, he wouldn't have been available later.

I don't know if I buy that. Anyway, Denver drafted Jake Butt 100 picks later.

100 picks later because he'll start the season on PUP and so won't play until October if he plays at all this season.

I live in Denver and they were definitely high on him. Local media people plugged into the team thought they were targeting him there. They were bummed when he went off the board.

[wab]

A lot of Broncos fans I know thought they were going to take Shaheen in the first. So.

[UOK]

PACE: "Any small school player we watch, we really want to see him dominate the level of competition and this guy definitely did that. Great character, high football intelligence, strong work ethic, and you know what stands out, for a guy with his size, his athleticism jumps out. He's one of those guys, when you're watching tape, you have to keep looking down and go, 'Man, this guy's 6-6 1/2 and 278 pounds and he moves like that. Good route quickness, good ability to separate, natural hands, good body control, big catching radius. You can feel his basketball background, his ability to go up and highpoint balls in a crowd. Just a good combination of size and strength and speed after the catch."

Pace on the type of tight end Shaheen can play in the offense: "He's built like a Y TE, an in-line tight end but he has the route quickness to play what we call the F role, so it's really interesting because a guy that big, he's a difficult guy to defend in traffic because he's big, he can go attack the ball and he's got really good concentration so this is really interesting for us."

Pace on how Shaheen uses his basketball experience to catch passes in traffic: “He’s so strong. Guys will drape on him and he can still have the concentration to make the catch. But the point I want to get across with him is for a guy that’s as big as he is, he’s got good route quickness and good route savviness to set guys up. And I think that’s what really impressed us all. For as big as he is … is this guy really 6-6 ½ and 278 pounds because he doesn’t move like that. He moves like a more agile player than you would think for a guy with that kind of size.”

John Fox on what stood out about Shaheen: "With Adam, what was very impressive of his was – which is also very important in basketball, having dabbled in that at a young age – the body control for a big man. Guys that you watch in the NBA, they’re extremely… they have good hands and have to have very good body control to play the game of basketball at a high level. This guy brought that. He’s pretty impressive in what he can do in terms of adjusting and catching footballs.”

[wab]

Even at the possible expense of my guy, I'm probably most excited to see how this pick turns out.

[UOK]

Even at the possible expense of my guy, I'm probably most excited to see how this pick turns out.

I hope he comes in and just fucks people up. I hope he says stupid shit to the media and becomes the swaggering, lumbering asshole that this team needs and fires the team up.

[Adipost]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

It was reported that Shaheen was the Broncos pick if he had been there 6 picks later. So, no, he wouldn't have been available later.

I don't know if I buy that. Anyway, Denver drafted Jake Butt 100 picks later.

100 picks later because he'll start the season on PUP and so won't play until October if he plays at all this season.

I live in Denver and they were definitely high on him. Local media people plugged into the team thought they were targeting him there. They were bummed when he went off the board.

Yet he'll still probably get a start before Shaheen.

[UOK]

Yet he'll still probably get a start before Shaheen.

Zach Miller - injured always, likely to be cut at some point soon
Dion Sims - primarily a blocker
Daniel Brown - depth, primarily special teams/2TE package guy
Ben Braunecker - roster bubble

Shaheen, a second round pick, is healthy and isn't going to fuck around waiting for his turn.

MEANWHILE IN DENVER

...the Broncos have, get ready for it, EIGHT (8) tight ends on their roster currently, and Jake Butt - a 5th round pick - is recovering from a December 30th ACL tear, and may not be ready to play in the preseason.

Let's take a look at the Broncos depth chart and see where Butt falls in there, shall we?

Oh, holy shit. Yeah that's an uphill climb.

So yeah, maybe just slow the roll a little bit, Adi.

[TheWorldBreaker]

Yet he'll still probably get a start before Shaheen.

Zach Miller - injured always, likely to be cut at some point soon
Dion Sims - primarily a blocker
Daniel Brown - depth, primarily special teams/2TE package guy
Ben Braunecker - roster bubble

Shaheen, a second round pick, is healthy and isn't going to fuck around waiting for his turn.

MEANWHILE IN DENVER

...the Broncos have, get ready for it, EIGHT (8) tight ends on their roster currently, and Jake Butt - a 5th round pick - is recovering from a December 30th ACL tear, and may not be ready to play in the preseason.

Let's take a look at the Broncos depth chart and see where Butt falls in there, shall we?

Oh, holy shit. Yeah that's an uphill climb.

So yeah, maybe just slow the roll a little bit, Adi.

None of the Broncos TE's are very good and they haven't been happy with the position since Julius Thomas left. They were so unhappy with them they traded with the Patriots to get one and he did nothing.

But Butt seems unlikely to play before Shaheen with Butt coming off the injury and having to start out on PUP.

[UOK]

Yet he'll still probably get a start before Shaheen.

Zach Miller - injured always, likely to be cut at some point soon
Dion Sims - primarily a blocker
Daniel Brown - depth, primarily special teams/2TE package guy
Ben Braunecker - roster bubble

Shaheen, a second round pick, is healthy and isn't going to fuck around waiting for his turn.

MEANWHILE IN DENVER

...the Broncos have, get ready for it, EIGHT (8) tight ends on their roster currently, and Jake Butt - a 5th round pick - is recovering from a December 30th ACL tear, and may not be ready to play in the preseason.

Let's take a look at the Broncos depth chart and see where Butt falls in there, shall we?

Oh, holy shit. Yeah that's an uphill climb.

So yeah, maybe just slow the roll a little bit, Adi.

None of the Broncos TE's are very good and they haven't been happy with the position since Julius Thomas left. They were so unhappy with them they traded with the Patriots to get one and he did nothing.

But Butt seems unlikely to play before Shaheen with Butt coming off the injury and having to start out on PUP.

They also drafted a QB in round 1 last year but he got outplayed by a 7th rounder out of Northwestern, so never discount a surprise - this may work in favor of OR against my point about Butt.

[Boris13c]

Even at the possible expense of my guy, I'm probably most excited to see how this pick turns out.

I hope he comes in and just fucks people up. I hope he says stupid shit to the media and becomes the swaggering, lumbering asshole that this team needs and fires the team up.

a Chicago style Gronk?

that would certainly be cool

need to give him a WWE style nickname ....

[DaSuperfan]

Before we get carried away with all the "Gronk" references, let the kid play an actual NFL down before we give him nicknames.

He needs to earn that nickname in the NFL IMO.

[mmmc_35]

Before we get carried away with all the "Gronk" references, let the kid play an actual NFL down before we give him nicknames.

He needs to earn that nickname in the NFL IMO.

Greg "Third Leg" Olson got his before playing in the NFL.

[ysleblanc]

You have to scratch your head and wonder if this guy, like many other of our picks this year would have been available later.

It was reported that Shaheen was the Broncos pick if he had been there 6 picks later. So, no, he wouldn't have been available later.

I don't know if I buy that. Anyway, Denver drafted Jake Butt 100 picks later.

100 picks later because he'll start the season on PUP and so won't play until October if he plays at all this season.

I live in Denver and they were definitely high on him. Local media people plugged into the team thought they were targeting him there. They were bummed when he went off the board.

Yet he'll still probably get a start before Shaheen.

Not sure about getting a start, but being a matchup nightmare I expect he will get looks on 3rd down and other passing downs from day 1.

[Atkins&Rebel]

Sneak him into a 2 TE set with this personnel:

Meredith, White, Cohen, Miller Sheehan
Or go 0 RB and throw Wheaton or Wright out there in the slot or a set of trips

Things could get fun this year even without a bona fide WR1

[G08]

http://www.patriots.com/video/2017/03/0 ... te-ashland" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

12:00 minutes

[46Blitz]

Is it me, or does he look a bit stiff and uncomfortable? Something, I don't know. Maybe it was the footage, I'm looking forward to seeing him against NFL guys...

[G08]

He's a big boy and I think he lumbers a bit at times... can argue he's a bit top-heavy. We have to remember he's only been this size for 3-4 years, if that. I'm expecting more out of him in 2018 than 2017.

[46Blitz]

True..... which makes me kinda want Miller to stay and do something. He will likely get hurt at some point. But kinda a stopgap till...

[alexwilkins]

He has very little definition on his body. If he can "redshirt", and live in the weight room for a year, that would benefit him immensely.

[Atkins&Rebel]

He has very little definition on his body. If he can "redshirt", and live in the weight room for a year, that would benefit him immensely.

Definition don't mean nothin'.
They're football players not Olympic posers.